Spotlight museum (Gerriets Museum)
The creation of the spotlight museum (Gerriets Museum)
Gerriets is actually a specialist in stage and event equipment, particularly in the textile sector. Although the product range is constantly being expanded, stage lighting is not part of the company’s portfolio.
Walter Gerriets, who died in 2013, was one of the founding members and first chairman of the ‘Förderverein zum Erhalt historischer Theatertechnik und -Architektur e.V.’ (Association for the Preservation of Historical Theatre Technology and Architecture), one of the two predecessor associations of the ‘Initiative TheaterMuseum Berlin e.V.’ (Berlin Theatre Museum Initiative), of which he became honorary chairman. Around 20 years ago, he offered premises at the Baden-Württemberg company’s Alsace plant to house spotlights and other stage lighting equipment, as well as control systems, which had been saved from scrapping by numerous members of the association. This gave rise to the ‘Museumsgang Gerriets’ collection in Volgelsheim.
From 2001 to 2022, it was thanks to the ‘Volgelsheim Group,’ consisting of Albert Henrich (retired lighting master), Dieter Frank (retired lighting master) as well as Klaus Viehl (electrical engineer) and Reiner Viehl (graduate mechanical engineer) that this collection was archived, documented and continuously maintained. Many of the exhibits are still fully functional. And other devices are waiting to be repaired.
Klaus Viehl and Reiner Viehl took special care of the functionality of the exhibits. Among other things, the two gentlemen restored a projection device for moving and rising clouds, which was inventoried in Bayreuth in 1933 and came to Volgelsheim via the BBS company, to full working order.
Dieter Frank and Albert Henrich also compiled background information on how the equipment works and its specific use on and behind the stage. A collection of spotlight lamps that had been started was inventoried, while the members of the ‘Volgelsheim Group’ continued to search for older lamps from the theatre and television sector.
The result was a detailed cataloguing that can be considered an excellent basis for a larger-scale museum presentation. Short essays of a general nature on the subject were also added. In addition, the history of the manufacturers and their inventors is presented.
After the death of Albert Henrich at the end of 2022, active work on the collection came to a standstill for the time being. The Viehl brothers have retired. Dieter Frank is working independently on the reappraisal of historical lighting technology and publishes articles in ‘Die Vierte Wand’ (The Fourth Wall).
A cooperation with the CANON project was agreed with company owner Hannes Gerriets, as well as an independent reappraisal of the existing knowledge.